Party and government officials whose spouses and children have emigrated overseas are to be subject to strict examination when applying for private passports and going abroad, according to a new regulation released on July 25.

A provisional regulation by the general offices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council specified new rules overseeing the issuing of private passports and travel passes to Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan to such officials.

According to the new rules, these officials should also submit written accounts on all income and property owned by their spouses and children living overseas, and on any changes in their financial conditions.

In some corruption cases, officials who moved their spouses and children to foreign countries deposited their money into their wives' or children's bank accounts. Even if they were eventually apprehended, the wealth transferred to overseas banks still belonged to the families of officials.